Conventional podiums are not generally transportable or storable because of their cumbersome size and weight. While the need for a readily transportable and storable podium has been recognized for many years, attempts to provide such a podium have generally resulted in a podium which is exceedingly difficult to assemble/disassemble, structurally defective and/or excessively heavy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,595 discloses a podium which is capable of disassembly, being formed of multiple curved and vertical sections joined together at horizontal plates. The disassembled podium still requires substantial storage space for the curved sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,700 discloses a storage and transport case formed in a single piece capable of being used as a podium. It cannot be disassembled into smaller units.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,087 discloses a podium formed from a top and bottom plate with a set of four hinged vertical sections separating them. This device can be disassembled and stored compactly but has no function outside of providing a small presentation platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,566 discloses a set of four cubes stacked together to form a presentation platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,382 discloses a child's play desk with drawers and sections of a top surface which slide to form right and left side support surfaces.
A need still exists for a lightweight, structurally stable, readily transportable and storable podium which is simple to assemble and disassemble and which is capable of being completely disassembled. In addition, a podium is a single use device incapable of alternate functions while not used for public presentations. It generally comprises a top surface supported above one or more cavities facing the presenter. There is a need for an alternate function for the prior art podium. Further, when not in use, the structure and rigid enclosure of the cavities of the typical podium are generally unavailable as storage space because of the need to instantly move a podium from a storage location to a presentation location. There is a need for means by which such storage space within the typical podium can be effectively used when the podium is not in use.